Aaron Eckhart, who co-stars with Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole," attended the opening night with his mother, Mary. (The Denver Post)

Think how cool it would have been if Nicole Kidman could have been here Wednesday when her latest movie, “Rabbit Hole,” opened the 33rd Starz Denver Film Festival.

The Oscar-winning actress apparently had another commitment, but co-star Aaron Eckhart (that’s him, with his mother, Mary, in the photo at right) and director John Cameron Mitchell walked the red carpet leading to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and attended the VIP events that were part of the first-night hoopla.

Eckhart also received the Excellence in Acting Award for a body of work that includes starring roles in such films as “Thank You for Smoking,” “The Dark Knight” and “Erin Brockovich.” Mitchell, whose parents live in Colorado Springs and accompanied him to opening night, recalled that his last visit to the Denver Performing Arts Complex was in 1988 when he played the title role in “Peter Pan.”